Detoxification

Qin Ming watched Xue Ke quickly mingle with the Imperial Fighting Team, smiling as he said, "Very good. I trust everyone now has a general understanding of Xue Ke's current strength. I hope you can become familiar with one another as soon as possible and improve your coordination. After all, the Team Soul Fighting Arena values cooperation between teammates."

"Looking across the entire continent, every one of you is a once-in-ten-thousand talent. I believe that, in the near future, I will see an even stronger Imperial Fighting Team. I firmly believe that two years from now, you will bring glory to Heaven Dou Royal Academy and to the Heaven Dou Empire at the Elite Advanced Spirit Master Competition!"

After drinking Qin Ming's bowl of motivational soup, the Imperial Fighting Team members could not help but reveal fervent looks, each of them filled with fighting spirit. Only Xue Ke and Ye Lingling remained as calm as ever.

After completing the day's team coordination training, the Imperial Fighting Team members left the training grounds one after another. Xue Ke walked up to Dugu Yan and said, "Sister Yan, don't leave yet. I have something to tell you."

Dugu Yan gave Xue Ke a puzzled look, then followed her to a teahouse in the academy, where they booked a private room.

Seeing how mysteriously Xue Ke was acting, Dugu Yan could not help asking, "What is it? Just say it."

Xue Ke took a sip of hot tea and said evenly, "Sister Yan, you've actually already been poisoned by a severe toxin. If you don't find a way to resolve it soon, you may not live past thirty." Of course, not living past thirty was something Xue Ke had made up. In any case, Dugu Yan would not live long.

"What?!" Dugu Yan was startled, then wore an expression that plainly said, Is that so? I don't believe it.

"I haven't felt anything unusual with my body!"

Xue Ke had long expected Dugu Yan not to believe her immediately, so she brought out the explanation she had prepared in advance.

"Sister Yan, the moment I saw you, I knew you had been poisoned. First of all, those distinctive green eyes of yours clearly weren't innate, because I've never heard of any family on the continent whose members were born with green eyes."

"Second, when I heard you say that your martial soul was the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, I gradually found the answer to that question."

"The Jade Phosphorous Serpent is a spirit beast that carries a deadly poison. Since you possess the Jade Phosphorous Serpent as your martial soul, your martial soul must carry toxins as well. As you cultivate, those toxins gradually erode your entire body along with the circulation of your Soul Power. The most obvious effect on your body is that your eyes gradually turned the deep green they are now."

"According to my deduction, the moment your body can no longer withstand the toxins accumulated within it will be the moment you perish."

After hearing Xue Ke's words, Dugu Yan's face immediately turned pale, and she pressed her lips tightly together.

"Then... then can I still be saved?" Dugu Yan asked Xue Ke despairingly.

The corners of Xue Ke's lips rose slightly as she reassured her, "Sister Yan, there's no need to worry. I may not know much about the art of poison, but I still have the tiniest bit of confidence in detoxifying the poison in your body."

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up as she looked at Xue Ke hopefully, like a drowning person clutching at a lifesaving straw.

Xue Ke's entire body prickled under the gaze of those jade-green eyes of this "snake spirit." She silently cursed, Vixen, then hurriedly said, "Sister Yan, take me to your dormitory. I'll detoxify you right away."

As soon as she finished speaking, Dugu Yan tightly grasped Xue Ke's little hand as though afraid Xue Ke would run away, and the two soon arrived at their destination.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling lived in the same apartment, with their rooms next to each other. The apartment also had a living room and a small kitchen.

Upon entering Dugu Yan's room, the two sat cross-legged facing each other. Dugu Yan's bed gave off a fragrance, a mixture of jasmine and the unique scent of her body.

Because she cultivated the Sunflower Scripture, Xue Ke's sense of smell was exceptionally sharp. The scent hitting her face instantly made her dizzy, and she unconsciously reached up to touch her forehead.

"Little sister, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? How about we call it off for today?" Dugu Yan asked with concern.

"Uh... it's fine. It won't affect anything," Xue Ke hurriedly said.

Xue Ke took a deep breath, quickly cleared the distracting thoughts from her mind, and summoned her Jade Swan martial soul. One yellow and two purple soul rings appeared.

"First Soul Skill, Song of Life!"

Xue Ke's first soul ring lit up. Countless green motes of light radiated from the swan phantom behind her and slowly entered Dugu Yan's body.

Dugu Yan instantly felt warm all over, as if she were soaking in a heated bath. Every pore on her body opened, greedily absorbing the green motes released by Xue Ke.

Half an hour later, Xue Ke's Soul Power was nearly exhausted, and she had no choice but to end today's "treatment."

"Sister Yan, let's stop here for today. My Soul Power is nearly depleted. After two more sessions, the residual poison accumulated in your body will be completely removed."

Dugu Yan gave Xue Ke a grateful look, then could not resist giving the Xue Ke across from her a loving hug.

"Sister Yan, mmph... y-you, let go," Xue Ke's broken voice came through as she nearly suffocated.

Embarrassed, Dugu Yan released Xue Ke. Then she caught a foul smell and felt sticky and uncomfortable all over.

"I'll go take a bath first." Dugu Yan hurriedly got off the bed and entered the bathroom.

Xue Ke went to the living room, peeled herself an apple, crossed her legs, and ate as she thought.

"The second step of the plan has been preliminarily completed. Next, I should be able to come into contact with Dugu Bo very soon. I need to prepare a Storage Ring that can hold living things in advance and get ready to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Pot."

Before long, Dugu Yan emerged from the bathroom in a fresh set of clothes. She came over to the sofa where Xue Ke was sitting and said gratefully.

"Thank you, little sister Xue Ke. I'll remember this favor. If you ever need anything in the future, I will do everything in my power to help you accomplish it."

"What are you saying, Sister Yan? We're teammates, so shouldn't we help each other? Besides, Sister Yan is as beautiful as a flower and as lovely as jade. No one could stand by and watch such a great beauty fade away because of this." Xue Ke spoke modestly, taking the opportunity to praise Dugu Yan.

"Hehehe—little sister Xue Ke really knows how to talk. I'll take that as you praising your big sister for being pretty!" Dugu Yan was amused by Xue Ke's words and laughed so hard that she trembled like a flower in the wind, reaching out to pinch Xue Ke's smooth little cheek.

No— Xue Ke thought helplessly. Why were Dugu Yan and Qian Renxue exactly alike, both fond of this face-pinching nonsense?

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. You must be exhausted, little sister. Let your big sister take you back to your dormitory so you can rest."

"No need to trouble yourself. I'll go back on my own. Sister Yan should get some rest early too."

Upon hearing that, Xue Ke shook her head repeatedly, rejection written all over her face. She used the Snowy Movement Technique and fled Dugu Yan's apartment as fast as she could fly.

This chapter was finally released. Sob, sob.